Sex change done, quest to become ‘complete man’ still on

A Malayalee woman who underwent three sex-change surgeries in Bangkok, the first one five years ago, has moved the Kerala high court seeking to be acknowledged as a man in all official documents. HT reports.

A Malayalee woman who underwent three sex-change surgeries in Bangkok, the first one five years ago, has moved the Kerala high court seeking to be acknowledged as a man in all official documents including his passport.

Aashiq Koshi, 25, born Jaya Elizabeth Ninan, needs the endorsement because he is unable to fly to Bangkok for his fourth and final surgery on the passport he now has.

After the surgeries, Aashiq’s body has become masculine and he sports a moustache, but his passport still carries the photo taken from his days as a woman. Confused immigration authorities prevented the small-time businessman of Thiruvalla in central Kerala from boarding a flight to Bangkok in August.

Subsequently, Aashiq approached the local tehsildar for a certificate to publish his gender change in government gazette, but was turned down. The tehsildar told him there were provisions to change name and religion, but not gender.

Stumped, Aashiq approached the high court on Friday. He requested the court to pass orders that will enable him to get a fresh passport as a man. He told the court the final round of treatment was necessary to complete his transformation and would include treatment for potential impotence.

After hearing Aashiq’s petition, justice Ramachandran Nair directed the state health department to constitute a medical team and submit a report. The court is scheduled to hear his petition again next week.